Indian Captain Urges Neutrality and Fairness in Pitch Assessments
Indian Cricket Captain Advocates Impartiality in Pitch Evaluation: Fairness Essential for Game Integrity
During the press conference on Thursday, Rohit Sharma was furious.
The captain of India made it very evident that he "doesn't mind" playing on fields like the one in Cape Town, where the game was finished in less than two days, but he wants people who criticize Indian pitches to keep quiet.
"The events of this Test match and the performance of the pitch were visible to all." As long as people in India keep their mouths shut and don't discuss Indian pitches, I honestly don't mind playing on pitches like these," Rohit declared following India's seven-wicket victory.
"You are here to push yourself. Sure, it's risky, but it's also difficult. It is also difficult for visitors to India. We talk about how playing Test cricket is the ultimate goal, the peak, and everything when you're here to play the game. We also support it.
"You come and face it when faced with a challenge like that. That is the case in India, but on Day 1, when the pitch begins to turn, people there begin to say things like, "Puff of dust, puff of dust, there are so many cracks on the pitch." Everywhere we go, it's critical that we maintain our neutrality.
Regarding pitch evaluations, Rohit pleaded with the ICC to remain "neutral."
To be honest, I'm curious to know how the pitches are scored. Cities like Centurion, Bangalore, Mumbai, and Cape Town are all very different. There are differences in the overhead conditions.
It's okay for everyone if the ball seams from ball 1. That is unfair. Everything should be alright if ball 1 starts to spin. If not, you maintain your objectivity and begin labeling these pitches as awful. It's completely incorrect, in my opinion, if you want the ball to only seam rather than turn. I will not stray from my assessment or opinion.
Rohit was taken aback by the World Cup final pitch's "below average" rating.
"Some of these referees for matches should be monitoring their pitch ratings. It still amazes me that the pitch in the World Cup final was deemed "below average." There, a batsman was hit hard. How is that a bad pitch? It is imperative that the ICC and match referees begin assigning pitch ratings based on their observations, not on nationality. That's crucial.
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